The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-02-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Special Correspondent at
the Federal Capital.


Washington, Feb. 4th. 1887.
Will the the President sign or veto the
Interstate Commerce bill and who will
succeed Secretary Manning? sre two
questions that are causing much specula-
ton just now. 1t having been pretty
definitely settled that Mr.. Manning
will soon resign the portfolio of the
Treasury, political gossips have fixed the
date of his retirement and elevated half
a dozen men to his place in the Cabinet.
Among these is the wealthy Pennsylv-
ania Congressman, Mr.. William Scott,
who has frequently been mentioned be-
fore as the next Secretary of the Treas
ury. But Mr.. Scott is reported as saying
that he will quit public life as soon as
his term in Congress expires. He says
he is tired OF public life, and that he
loses 1000 per day by being in Con-
gress.
Senator MCPHERSON, of New Jersey,
has also been spoken of as a successor of,
Mr. Manning since he is in sympathy
with the Presidents ideas on questions
of finance, and the latest theory of
Minister Pendleton's return to America
is that he has been called home to take
Cabinet position. But the President
has a very high opinion of the abilities
of Assistant Secretary Fairchild, who
conducted the affairs of the Department
during the long illness of Mr.. Manning,
and on whose shoulders has fallen much
important business. In the opinion of
most politicians he is more likely to be
appointed than any other who has been
mentioned.
The probable fate of the Interstate
Commerce bill in equally provocative of
gossip and speculation. and the presence
here of a number of prominent railroad
men just at the time when the bill is in
suspense has been much commented up.
on. The President has until Saturday to
dispose of the measure. The ten days
within which he can legally act on 1t will
expire Saturday evening. He has exam
ined the Congressional debates on the
bill and has given the subject thorough
and careful consideration. Even if he
vetoes it the friends of the measure claim
that there will be no trouble in passing
it over the veto, as the vote on the bill
showed that more than two.thirds of
each house was in favor of it.
Among some interesting adverse re-
ports from the House Committee on
Pensions, is one upon the bill granting a |
pension of Mrs. Logan. 1t says, should
Congress pass the bill and by future leg
Station maintain that fairness and con-
,istency which should characterize all
egislation, the widows of 259 major gen.
erals and rear admirals would be given a
pension of 1000 year each. 1t went
IN to say that it was well known that
Of poor widows Of brave soldi-
,rs were denied $12 month because of
inability to connect the death of their
with their military service,
while in the case of General Logan it
was not claimed that his death was at
tributed to his service in the war. 1t was
we'll known that Mrs. Logan was now,
through the generosity of friends and
strangers, in possession of an ample es-
tate, and while the committee expressed
the highest regard for both her and Gen.
Logan, they believed that the passage of
this and all similar bills would be in the
of building up in this country
an aristocracy contrary to the very
principals of an equal government for
all.
The report closed with the statement
that the committee believed that the
proposition to pension Mrs. Logan
originated in an emotion arising from
the sudden and unexpected death of
her husband, and was not the deliberate
Judgment of the people. Next We'd
,esday has been set apart in the Senate
Is memorial day for Gen. Logan, and
,mong those who will speak in eulogy
of him are Senators Edmunds, Evarts.
Allison, Manderson, Plumb, Spooner,
Frye, Hawley, Cullon, Stanford, Morgan,
Jockrell. Hampton, Ransom and Black
)urn,